Elenore Sturko

Early life and professional career

Elenore Sturko graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary before beginning her career in broadcasting with CFJC-TV in Kamloops. In 2007, she joined the Canadian Forces Air Command as a reservist, serving with the 440 Transport Squadron based in Yellowknife. Her commitment to public service led her to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2009, where she achieved the rank of staff sergeant over her career. Her initial RCMP posting was in Langley, British Columbia, before she transferred back to Yellowknife in 2012.

During her time in the North, Sturko worked extensively as a frontline police officer and later in community policing and media relations roles. She traveled widely across northern Canada, engaging with Indigenous communities and participating in the Arctic Sovereignty Patrol. In 2016, she and her family moved to Ottawa where she joined the RCMP Musical Ride and participated in the cross-country tour celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017. She was stationed in Surrey from 2018 onward, serving as a spokesperson for the Surrey RCMP detachment.

Throughout her policing career, Sturko served as an advisor on issues related to gender, sexual orientation, and harassment. She joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2009 and eventually earned the rank of staff sergeant. Her work included serving as a frontline police officer, a community policing officer, and a media relations officer. This professional background in law enforcement and community engagement established a foundation for her subsequent political career.

Entry into provincial politics

Following the resignation of Surrey South MLA Stephanie Cadieux, BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon approached Sturko to run as the party's candidate in the ensuing by-election. She was successfully elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in September 2022. Just one month after her election, in October 2022, she was appointed as the official opposition education critic for the BC Liberals, who were then undergoing a rebranding to BC United. By December 2022, her portfolio expanded as she was named shadow minister for Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery and Education, roles she held until her departure from the party.

Her early legislative work focused on the files within her critic roles, drawing upon her professional experience in community safety and public service. During this period, she established herself as a new voice within the BC United caucus, bringing a perspective shaped by frontline emergency services. Her transition from a high-profile RCMP media spokesperson to a political representative occurred relatively quickly, with her by-election victory marking a rapid entry into the provincial political arena. This foundational period in the BC United caucus lasted nearly two years before her first major party transition.

Party transitions and the 2024 election

On June 3, 2024, Sturko announced her decision to leave BC United and cross the floor to join the BC Conservative Party, becoming their fourth MLA in the legislature. She cited a desire for a better political alignment as a key reason for her move. Later that year, in the October 2024 provincial election, she contested and won the electoral district of Surrey-Cloverdale, defeating New Democratic Party incumbent Mike Starchuk. This victory secured her a seat in the newly constituted legislature and demonstrated her ability to win in a different riding.

In November 2024, Conservative leader John Rustad named Sturko to his shadow cabinet, serving as critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety. Internal party tensions surfaced weeks after the Conservatives became the official opposition. A leaked letter signed by 13 Conservative MLAs criticized Sturko for public comments she made on November 23, 2024. Her comments concerned the Vancouver Police Board's acceptance of vice-chair Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba's resignation after Sakoma-Fadugba made racist, anti-immigration, and transphobic comments on social media.

The letter's signatories rallied behind Sakoma-Fadugba, calling her a victim of cancel culture, and demanded Rustad ask Sturko to apologize. Sturko responded firmly, stating she had no plans to change or retract her statement. This incident highlighted a significant rift within the caucus between more socially conservative members and Sturko's more liberal stance on such issues, foreshadowing her eventual departure from the party. The public disagreement revealed fundamental ideological differences that would become untenable within the same caucus.

Removal from Conservative caucus and independence

On September 22, 2025, John Rustad removed Elenore Sturko from the BC Conservative caucus. Following her removal, she chose to sit as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly. In explaining her departure, Sturko claimed she had been prevented from voicing her "more socially liberal beliefs" while within the Conservative caucus. This period of independence allowed her to vote and speak on legislation without party constraints, lasting nearly a full year.

During her time as an independent, Sturko was elected Chair of the Special Committee on Police Complaints on February 25, 2026. Her election to this committee role came with the support of NDP MLAs, while Conservative MLAs on the committee opposed her appointment. This bipartisan support for a committee position indicated a degree of cross-aisle respect for her experience in policing and oversight matters. Her work on this committee continued to focus her legislative efforts on public safety and accountability systems, providing a platform for her expertise during her time as an independent.

Leadership of CentreBC

On September 18, 2026, Sturko joined seven other former Conservative MLAs in becoming a member of the newly formed CentreBC party. The party itself had only been founded in 2025. In a rapid series of events, the other seven MLAs who had joined CentreBC returned to the Conservative Party on September 22, 2026, following the resignation of former Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. Sturko, however, declined to return and instead became CentreBC's new leader on that same day, succeeding Peter Milobar who had led the party for less than a week.

Sturko has stated that pursuing leadership was not her intention before becoming leader of CentreBC. As leader, she positioned CentreBC as a centrist alternative. She criticized BC NDP Leader David Eby's argument that he needed more seats to govern, noting Eby passed 46 pieces of legislation since the 2024 election. Sturko framed the 2026 snap election as an opportunity for change, arguing there is public appetite for a new direction.

Sturko has commented on the impacts of potential trade wars with the United States on British Columbia's steel, aluminum, and forestry industries. Her platform includes a commitment to increase the number of provincial RCMP officers by 500 over five years. She also plans to make permanent funding for the extortion task force and increase the number of prosecutors in the BC Prosecution Service. These public safety policies are central to her campaign message for the 2026 election.

Political positions and 2026 candidacy

Sturko's political identity has been shaped by her professional background and her experiences across multiple parties. She describes her beliefs as socially liberal, which created friction during her time with the BC Conservatives. Her policy focus remains heavily influenced by her RCMP career, with public safety, policing resources, and community security forming central pillars of her platform. She has criticized the NDP government's approach to policing, arguing that announcing new units without increasing officer numbers simply reallocates existing resources from other vital areas.

For the 2026 British Columbia general election, Sturko is standing as the CentreBC candidate in the electoral district of Surrey South. She leads a party aiming to give voters a centrist option. In debates and interviews, she has articulated criticisms of both Premier David Eby and the BC Conservatives. She positions CentreBC as a pragmatic alternative focused on practical governance.

Her campaign emphasizes her direct experience in law enforcement and community relations. Sturko has stated she has no regrets about rejecting an invitation to return to the BC Conservative Party. Her political journey has seen her belong to three provincial parties and sit as an independent MLA in about four years. She now seeks to establish CentreBC as a viable political force in the 2026 election.

Personal life

Elenore Sturko lives in Surrey, British Columbia, with her wife, Melissa, and their three children. Her family's relocation to Ottawa in 2016 was connected to her assignment with the RCMP Musical Ride. The couple's return to Surrey in 2018 coincided with her posting as an RCMP spokesperson for the Surrey detachment. Her personal experience as a member of the LGBTQ community has informed her advocacy on issues of equality and inclusion within both her policing and political careers.

Sturko lives in Surrey with her wife, Melissa, and their three children. She began her professional career in the broadcasting industry by joining CFJC-TV in Kamloops. She later served as a reservist with the Canadian Forces Air Command and then joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Her personal foundation in Surrey adds a local dimension to her work as an MLA and party leader for the region.

Questions about Elenore Sturko

What is Elenore Sturko's political party affiliation in 2026?

As of September 2026, Elenore Sturko is the leader of CentreBC. She joined CentreBC on September 18, 2026, and became its leader on September 22, 2026. Prior to this, she served as an independent MLA from September 2025 after being removed from the BC Conservative caucus. She was a member of the BC Conservatives from June 2024 to September 2025 and was originally elected as a member of the BC Liberal Party, later renamed BC United, in 2022.

Why was Elenore Sturko removed from the BC Conservative caucus?

Elenore Sturko was removed from the BC Conservative caucus by leader John Rustad on September 22, 2025. Following her removal, Sturko stated that she had been prevented from voicing her "more socially liberal beliefs" while within the Conservative caucus. Tensions had been evident months earlier when a group of 13 Conservative MLAs signed a letter criticizing her for comments she made about the Vancouver Police Board's handling of a resignation involving racist and transphobic social media posts. Sturko refused to apologize for those comments, highlighting a ideological rift within the party that ultimately led to her expulsion.

What is Elenore Sturko's professional background before politics?

Before entering politics, Elenore Sturko had a extensive career in public service and broadcasting. She began in broadcasting with CFJC-TV in Kamloops. She served as a reservist with the Canadian Forces Air Command starting in 2007, assigned to the 440 Transport Squadron in Yellowknife. She joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2009, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. Her RCMP postings included Langley, Yellowknife (where she worked in community policing and media relations), Ottawa with the Musical Ride, and finally Surrey as a detachment spokesperson. She also served as an advisor on gender, sexual orientation, and harassment issues within the RCMP.

Which electoral districts has Elenore Sturko represented as an MLA?

Elenore Sturko has represented two different electoral districts in the British Columbia legislature. She was first elected in a September 2022 by-election to represent Surrey South, following the resignation of MLA Stephanie Cadieux. After crossing to the BC Conservatives, she contested the 2024 provincial election in the redistributed riding of Surrey-Cloverdale, where she defeated NDP incumbent Mike Starchuk. She continues to represent Surrey-Cloverdale as of 2026. For the 2026 general election, she is standing as a candidate once again in Surrey South, the riding of her initial election, seeking to return to represent that constituency.

What are CentreBC's key public safety policies under Sturko's leadership?

As leader of CentreBC, Elenore Sturko has outlined several public safety policies rooted in her RCMP experience. The party platform commits to increasing the number of provincial RCMP officers by 500 over five years, specifically for specialized units and smaller municipalities. CentreBC plans to make permanent the funding for the extortion task force budget. The party also proposes increasing the number of prosecutors within the BC Prosecution Service. Sturko has criticized the current government's approach, arguing that creating new police units without adding officers merely shifts existing resources from other vital areas, which she describes as 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'.

How did Elenore Sturko become the leader of CentreBC?

Elenore Sturko became leader of CentreBC through a rapid and unexpected sequence of events in September 2026. She joined the party on September 18 along with seven other former BC Conservative MLAs. The party's leadership changed when Mike Bernier stepped aside for Peter Milobar. Just days later, on September 22, Milobar and the other six MLAs announced they were returning to the BC Conservative Party following Kerry-Lynne Findlay's resignation as Conservative leader. Sturko chose not to return with them. With the other MLAs gone and the leadership vacant, she assumed the role of CentreBC leader on September 22, 2026, in what she described as an unplanned ascent to the position.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.